The Damages caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Actions taken by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (June 9)

※This is a prompt report. The numbers shown below may be updated based on the further investigation.(Time is JST (Japan Standard Time). )

1. Summary of the earthquake (by Japan Meteorological Agency)

(1)Date and time : March 11,201114:46JST (Friday)

(2)Hypocenter : 130km off the Pacific coast of Tohoku region, from Iwate to Ibaraki Prefectures (130km near the east-southeast of Oshika Peninsula)

(3)Depth : 24km

(4)Magnitude : M9.0

(5)Seismic Intensity in typical place

JMA Seismic Intensity

Area

7

Northern part of Miyagi

6+

Southern and Central part of Miyagi Prefecture

Nakadori and Hamadori of Fukushima Prefecture

Northern and Southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture

Northern and Southern part of Tochigi Prefecture

6-

Southern part of coastal area, northern part of inland area and southern part of inland area of Iwate Prefecture

Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture

Southern part of Gunma Prefecture

Southern part of Saitama Prefecture

North-west part of Chiba Prefecture

(6)Observed Tsunami (by Japan Meteorological Agency)

Miyako: Maximum more than 8.5m on March 11, 2011 15:26

Oofunato: Maximum more than 8.0m on March 11, 2011 15:18

Souma: Maximum more than 7.3m on March 11, 2011 15:50

2. Damages of agriculture, forestry and fisheries

※ Damages are based on the current report. The numbers in the list below may be updated substantially based on the further investigation, especially in the column of “Fisheries“. (Written on June 8, 17:00)

3. Responses of MAFF to the earthquake disaster (as of June 8, 17:00)

(1) Main responses of Japanese government to the earthquake disaster

Japanese government established disaster countermeasures office. (March 11)

Japanese government dispatched governmental investigation teams to Miyagi prefecture ( March 11), Iwate and Fukushima prefecture ( March 12).

※ MAFF dispatched 5 staff to each team.

Japanese government designated the disaster by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake (renamed as Great East Japan Earthquake) as Heavy Disaster covered with all parts of the country. (March 12)

(2) Main responses of MAFF to the earthquake disaster

【 Establishment of framework within MAFF 】

MAFF established MAFF Earthquake Response Headquarters (March 11)

MAFF established the contact point of consultation service for the damages in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. (March 12)

With cooperation with related organizations, Tohoku Regional Forest Office and Kanto Regional Forest Office are engaged in the transportation of food to the evacuation centers by 20 cars. (March 16~April 4)

In relation to the acceptance of sufferers in rural areas, MAFF provides various information to the damaged area such as houses and facilities for sufferers, employment related on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and the utilization of agricultural lands and abandoned farmlands. (April 19 ~) (As of June 7, the number of houses and facilities available for suffered people; about 2,200, the estimated number of person possible to be accepted; 20,000, the current situation of acceptance; 113 (105) people in 37 (35) houses, the current situation of employment; 18 (8) persons at 14 (7) corporations. ) (※Numbers in parenthesis are as of May 23.)

Hon. Ms. Tanabu, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey to check the damages and exchanged information and opinions with victims in Miyako City and Yamada Town, Iwate prefecture. (March 20)

Fishery survey vessel Hakuryu Maru was engaged in the confirmation of the safety of some inhabitants in Oshika peninsula and provided the information to the Ishinomaki city government. (March 18-21)

MAFF dispatched staff of Forestry Agency and Tohoku Regional Forest Office to Miyagi prefecture. They conducted the site survey to check the damages with staff from Miyagi prefecture. Experts of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute also joined the survey. (March 23-25)

Hon Mr. Yoshida, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey to check the damages and exchanged information and opinions with local entities concerned in Ibaraki prefecture. (March 24)

Hon. Ms. Tanabu, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey to check the damages and exchanged information and opinions with victims in Hachinohe City and Hashikami City, Aomori prefecture. (March 26)

MAFF dispatched 4 staff including Head of Construction Planning and Coordination Office, Design Division, Rural Development Bureau to Miyagi prefecture. They investigate the situation of large-scale disaster and give assistance and advice for disaster recovery from Ishinomaki City to coastal area of Yamamoto Chou. (March 26 - 27)

MAFF dispatched staff of Rural Development Bureau and Tohoku Regional Agricultural Administration Office to Iwate and Miyagi prefecture. They conducted the site survey to check the damages with staff from Iwate and Miyagi prefecture by helicopter. Experts of National Institute for Rural Engineering also joined the survey. (March 30-31)

MAFF dispatched staff of Forestry Agency to Ibaraki prefecture. They conducted the site survey to check the damages with staff of Ibaraki prefecture. Experts of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute also joined the survey. (March 31 - April 1)

Hon Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey at disaster area including Ishinomaki City and Natori City, Miyagi prefecture and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned at Miyagi prefectural government office. In addition, he conducted the site survey at the freight transport complex in Tendo City, Yamagata prefecture. (April 2-3)

Hon Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey at disaster area such as Iwaki City and Fukushima City, Fukushima prefecture and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned at Iwaki City, Fukushima City and Iitate Village. (April 9)

Director-General of Rural Development Bureau conducted the site survey at disaster area and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned in Fukushima prefecture. (April 10)

MAFF dispatched staff of Forestry Agency to Iwate prefecture. They conducted the site survey to check the damages with staff of Iwate prefecture. Experts of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute also joined the survey. (April 12 - )

MAFF dispatched staff of Forestry Agency to Fukushima prefecture. They conducted the site survey to check the damages with staff of Fukushima prefecture. (April 12)

Deputy Director-General of Rural Development Bureau conducted the site survey at disaster area and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned in Iwate and Miyagi prefecture. (April 15 ~ 16)

Hon Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey at disaster area and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned at Yamada Town in Iwate prefecture. (April 16)

Director-General of Statistics Department conducted the site survey to check the damages such as liquefied farmlands at Itako city in Ibaraki prefecture and at Katori city in Chiba prefecture. (April 19)

Hon Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey at disaster area and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned in Fukushima prefecture and Ibaraki prefecture. (April 23)

Hon Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey at disaster area and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture. (May 7)

Hon Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted the site survey at disaster area and exchanged information and opinions with entities concerned in Fukushima and Miyagi prefecture. (May 14)

Relevant ministries including Forest Agency requested the related organizations to provide housing material smoothly to respond to the shortage of them.(March 18) MAFF held Communications Conferences for Organizations of Forestry and Wood. (March 15~)

【Finance】

MAFF requested related financial institutions to provide smooth finance and rescheduling of loans and so on to victims in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. (March 11)

The government of Japan enforced the Act on Temporary Measures on Financial Support of Farmers, Forestry Workers and Fishery Workers Suffering from Natural Disaster, and provided the low-rate loans (natural disaster relief loans) to farmers, foresters and fishermen damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. (April 15)

【Rural land and agricultural facilities】

MAFF directed each prefecture to check dams and storage reservoirs and to prevent secondary disasters based on the premise of maximum priority on human life.

MAFF dispatched experts of National Institute for Rural Engineering and staff in charge to Miyagi and Fukushima prefecture for the emergency checkups of agricultural facilities based on the requests from these prefectures. (March 13-)

MAFF delivered pumps for first aid from Land Improvement Technology Offices. (March 14 ~, 22 pumps to Fukushima prefecture, 54 pumps to Miyagi prefecture, and 4 pumps to Tochigi prefecture. Among them, 22 pumps in Fukushima prefecture, 47 pumps in Miyagi prefecture and 4 pumps in Tochigi prefecture are in operation as of June 8.)

MAFF issued a notice to Tohoku and Kanto regional Agricultural Administration Offices to simplify drastically the assessment procedure of the disaster recovery projects to accelerate the early reconstruction of damaged area. (April 21)

【Other issues】

MAFF operated the customs and quarantines rapidly in close cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant ministries by providing information of the procedures of customs and quarantines of rescue dogs just after the earthquake. As a result of this operation, Japanese government has accepted 46dogs from the Netherland, U.K., U.S., Australia, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, Singapore and South Korea.

In support of ensuring the supply of mixed feeds, MAFF conducted the following measures.

a) request to concerned bodies on transportation of mixed feeds by domestic vessels and tracks from Kyushu, Hokkaido, etc.

b) lending service of stocked feed grains to livestock farmers with no fee and no security.

To reduce the burden on the dairy farmers who need to discard their produced raw milk, MAFF issued a technical notice to promote quick milking suspension and to inform some technical advice. (March 24)

MAFF issued a technical notice to assess and restore the situation of damaged agricultural land and farm irrigation facilities as early as possible, as well as to prepare for farming on rice crops and horticulture depending on the damaged situation. (March 31)

MAFF issued a notice to Agricultural Mutual Relief Associations in Aomori prefecture and other 6 prefectures on an extension of due date of payment of the agricultural insurance premium of livestock mutual aid and horticultural facilities mutual aid, and prompt payment of mutual aid money. (March 31)

MAFF determined the extension of the deadline for the submission of applications for the income support direct payment scheme. (April 1)

MAFF issued the ministerial ordinance on special cases concerning the due date for payment of the agricultural insurance premium of fruit mutual aid (harvested mutual aid) and upland field crop mutual aid. (April 11)

Tohoku Regional Forest Office lent about 399 ha of coastal forests and about 6 ha of old quarry sites in Miyagi prefecture with no charge to the prefectural governments such as Miyagi to place rubbles temporarily. (April 19)

MAFF issued a notice to prefectural governments on the extension of the deadline for the procedure to continue contracts of government managed forest insurance. (April 22)

MAFF formed a study team on the disaster-prevention forests along coasts to determine the extent of the detailed damage of them, to evaluate the effectiveness of them, and to discuss the methods for the restoration of them (April 28). The 1st review meeting was held in Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture. (May 21)

MAFF issued notices to 6 prefectural governments such as Aomori as well as the prefectural federations of Agricultural Insurance Associations in these prefectures on the payment of agricultural mutual aid money to farmlands damaged by penetration of salty water and so on. (May 24)